Asem Tag: Building a Movement from the Ground Up

Watch the full interview on Instagram — Part 1 · Part 2

Asem Tag has shaped the sound of a generation. From KIK to VENT to taking Wegz to pop-culture dominance, he’s been behind some of the most defining moments in Egypt’s music scene.

Now he’s in a new chapter, having left the agency world to build something of his own and tell a different kind of story with Raad Records.

I sat down with Asem to talk legacy, creativity, the future of Egyptian art, and what it really takes to build a movement from the ground up.

Part 1 — The Foundations

The first time Asem and I crossed paths, I was still a young sponsored skater trying to make sense of the scene. He featured myself and the Skate Impact family for his magazine, Awesome Mag, twelve years before SAHARA even existed. When I reached out to interview him, everything came rushing back. I had no idea it was the same Asem. Stories loop back, just when they’re supposed to.

Part 2 — The New Chapter

From KIK and VENT to Billboard’s 40 Under 40, Asem has been a force behind the evolution of Egyptian music. With Raad Records he’s betting on artists, on patience, and on a kind of long-game thinking the industry has been missing. We talked about what scares him, what still excites him, and the kind of legacy he actually wants to leave behind.

Photography: Slomosk · Video: Seif H & Slomosk · BTS: Tarek Kezzat